Department of Economics, Bryan School of Business & Economics
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
ECO 523-01: TOPICS IN PUBLIC POLICY
Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm
117 Bryan Building
FALL 2013
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Dennis Patrick Leyden – 460 Bryan Building, dpleyden@uncg.edu, 256-8558.
Office hours: Almost any time during normal working hours, M-F is possible. I am available for
individual and group meetings. Contact me about getting together.
FOR WHOM PLANNED
This course is intended primarily for upper-division undergraduate students interested in learning how to
do economic public policy analysis.
ACADEMIC CREDIT
3 semester hours of academic credit. This course is both writing intensive (WI) and speaking intensive
(SI).
PREREQUISITE
ECO 301: Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
Examination of market failure, public goods, economic efficiency, and income incidence, allocative
effects, and public policy.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
This course provides students with an introduction to the conduct of public policy analysis with an
emphasis on the microeconomics perspective. Students who successfully complete this course will:
 Formulate economic policy questions within the context of a broader ethical purpose.
 Construct reviews of the economic literature that are relevant to answering economic policy questions.
 Construct economic theories that address economic policy questions.
 Use economic theories and empirical evidence to answer economic policy questions.
 Communicate in writing and orally the result of economic research in a clear, coherent, effective, and
consistent with standard forms of communication used by economists.
READINGS & OTHER RESOURCES
Required readings for this course include the following books:
 Leyden, Dennis P. (2012). Critical Thinking in Economics, 2nd edition. Charlotte, NC: Kona.
 Munger, Michael C. (2000). Analyzing Policy. New York: W. W. Norton.
 Sandel, Michael J. (2010). Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? New York: Farrar, Straus and
Giroux.
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ECO 523-01 SYLLABUS
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Additional material necessary to successfully complete the course is located on the course Blackboard
website. To access that site, go to blackboard.uncg.edu and log in. Note that you must be registered for
the course in order to have access to the course’s Blackboard site.
CONDUCT OF THE COURSE
The purpose of this writing-intensive and speaking-intensive course is to help students improve their
ability to engage in independent economic policy research and communicate the results of that research in
a professional manner. The structure of this course is dramatically different from a typical course. While
there will be some lectures, student participation is not only required by the University by virtue of the
course being a writing-intensive and speaking-intensive course, it is absolutely crucial for success. The
emphasis of the course will be on in-class discussions and presentations in which students and the
instructor will work together to develop economic research and communication skills. As required of all
University writing-intensive and speaking intensive courses, this course will have both informally and
formally graded writing and speaking assignments. Finally, the course will include a comprehensive final
examination. Students will be provided with feedback about their writing and speaking assignments and
will be expected to use such feedback to improve later writing and speaking assignments. To be
successful in this course, students need to read assigned material ahead of time, be willing to share their
thinking and work – however incomplete – with the class, and be willing to support fellow students
through both praise and criticism of their work.
FACULTY AND STUDENT GUIDELINES
Each student is required to sign the Academic Integrity Policy on all major work submitted for the course.
Refer to UNCG Undergraduate Bulletin/Graduate Bulletin or:
 http://sa.uncg.edu/dean/
In addition, the Bryan School Faculty Assembly and the Bryan School Student Advisory Council have
adopted a set of Faculty and Student Guidelines that defines expected behavior for both faculty and
student. For more information about these Guidelines consult:
 http://bae.uncg.edu/students-resources/
EVALUATION & GRADING
Listed below are the various formally and informally graded assignments. Formally graded items are
graded on a 100 point scale with each letter grade range being 10 points. Informally graded items are
graded using a ± system, with a minus indicating less than satisfactory work and a plus indicating
especially meritorious work. At the end of the semester, a weighted average (weights listed below) of the
formally graded items is calculated, rounded to two decimal places, and the grade converted to a letter
grade with the top third of each 10-point letter-grade range being awarded a plus and with the bottom
third of each 10-point letter-grade range being awarded a minus. Then the informally graded items are
evaluated to determine whether an adjustment in that course letter grade is warranted before assigning the
final course grade. The complete list of assignments follows:
 Paper Topic Assignments
 Assignment 1 .......................................................................................... ± system
 Assignment 2 .........................................................................5% (formally graded)
 Reports
 Positive Perspectives............................................................................... ± system
 Normative Perspectives .......................................................................... ± system
 Problems & Limitations .......................................................................... ± system
 Oral Report 1 .......................................................................................... ± system
 Oral Report 2 .......................................................................................... ± system
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ECO 523-01 SYLLABUS
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 Initial Model Draft ..........................................................................5% (formally graded)
 Bibliography Assignments
 Assignment 1 .......................................................................................... ± system
 Assignment 2 .........................................................................5% (formally graded)
 Speaking Center Consultation(s)...................................................................... ± system
 Term Paper Assignments
 Complete Paper (1st Draft) ...................................................15% (formally graded)
 Presentation ..........................................................................25% (formally graded)
 Complete Paper (Final Draft)...............................................30% (formally graded)
 Final Examination .........................................................................15% (formally graded)
Informal assignments that are not completed will receive a zero; informal assignments that are completed
after they are due will receive a zero or check-minus at the discretion of the instructor. Formally-graded
written assignments that are turned in late will receive a 10-point deduction for every calendar day that
they are late (measured in 24 hour increments from the due date and time). The formally-graded
presentation will receive a 20-point deduction for every calendar day that it is late. Finally, there is in
general no ability to reschedule the final examination and students who miss the final examination will
receive a zero. The only exceptions to this policy are:
 Students with three final examinations within a 24-hour period may apply to the University Registrar's
Office for permission to change their examination schedules. All requests for changes in examinations
must be filed with the University Registrar's Office by 5:00 pm on Reading Day.
 Students who, due to extreme circumstances that are beyond their control, cannot take the final
examination at the scheduled time and date may petition to have the final examination rescheduled. In
such circumstances, students should contact the instructor as soon as possible and provide tangible
evidence to support the claim that there is a conflict that is due to extreme circumstances that are
beyond their control. Examples of situations that are generally not justifications for rescheduling the
final examination include conflicts with other courses that do not follow the prescribed final
examination schedule, conflicts with work schedules, and conflicts with end-of-semester travel
arrangements.
ASSIGNMENTS
Special note: Additional details about each assignment will be provided in class and/or on the course
Blackboard site.
 Paper Topic Assignments – To aid in the development of a clearly focused paper topic, students are
required to draft a paper topic and provide supporting material to explain and justify that choice
(Assignment 1). Then, after further reading, discussion, and consideration of that topic, students are
required to revise their paper topic and again provide supporting material to explain and justify that
choice (Assignment 2). Both paper topic draft assignments should be typed using the template
MSWord file that is provided on the course Blackboard site, should be submitted in hardcopy form, and
are due at the beginning of class on the day assigned.
 Reports – At various times during the semester, students will be required to (1) reflect on how course
material will be used in writing their papers and (2) share a critical evaluation of the state of their
paper. Due dates are noted in the course calendar. For written reports, students are required to use the
associated template MSWord file. For oral reports, students should refer to guidelines on the course
Blackboard site.
 Bibliography Assignments – To aid in the development of a relevant set of references that will be
useful in completing the term paper, students are required to draft an annotated bibliography, that is, a
list of references along with supporting material to explain and justify that list (Assignment 1). Then,
after further reading, discussion, and consideration of their paper and its needs, students are required to
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revise their annotated bibliography, again providing supporting material to explain and justify their
choices (Assignment 2). Both annotated bibliography assignments should be typed using the template
MSWord file that is provided on the course Blackboard site, should be submitted in hardcopy form, and
are due at the beginning of class on the day assigned.
 Speaking Center Consultations – Students are required to take part in at least one Speaking Center
Consultation with the UNCG Speaking Center and provide documentation of that process by the
beginning of class on the due date. Because speaking, like writing, improves with repeated efforts and
reflection, students that do more than one Speaking Center Consultation have the opportunity to earn a
check-plus.
 Term Papers – Students are required to research, write, present, and revise a 2500-3750 word paper
(approximately 10-15 page double-spaced paper). Be sure to note that word count excludes the paper’s
cover, references, diagrams, etc. The paper should have the structure described in class. The first draft
of that paper must be submitted electronically using SafeAssign on the course Blackboard site by date
and time noted below in the course calendar. A schedule of who is to present on which day will be
arranged ahead of time. Presentations based on the paper should be 15 minutes, and presenters should
be able to discuss their paper in further detail. Finally, a revised, final draft of the paper based on
feedback from the class and the instructor should be submitted electronically using SafeAssign on the
course Blackboard site on the date and time noted below in the course calendar.
 Final Examination – The final examination will be comprehensive and will test students’ knowledge
and abilities in two areas: their knowledge of previously assigned reading material, and their
knowledge of their term paper and the process used in writing the paper.
TOPICAL OUTLINE & CALENDAR
The calendar below provides an outline of course activities along with the associated readings and
assignment due dates. If the University cancels class, check the course Blackboard site for information
about rescheduling. However, be sure to note that any assignment due on-line on the day the University
cancels classes will continue to be due as originally assigned.
Classroom Activity
AUG 19
Introduction
(Leyden 1)
Assignments
(due at beginning of class unless
otherwise stated)
Students should review the course
Blackboard site, read the syllabus, and
the first chapter of Critical Thinking in
Economics. Start thinking about possible
research topics. Nothing needs to be
turned in. However, students are
encouraged to talk with each other to
get their creative juices flowing.
AUG 21, 23
What is Economic Policy Analysis?
(Leyden 2; Munger 1, 2)
AUG 26, 28
Research Topics
Paper Topic Assignment 1– AUG 26
Tools of the Policy Analyst - Introduction
(Leyden 3)
Paper Topic Assignment 2 – AUG 30
AUG 30
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SEP 4, 6, 9, 11,
13
Tools of the Policy Analyst - Positive Perspectives
(Munger 3, 6, 9, 10)
SEP 16, 18, 20,
23
Tools of the Policy Analyst – Normative Perspectives
(Leyden 3; Munger Ch 3, 4, 7; Sandel 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9
Positive Perspectives Report – SEP 16
SEP 25
Tools of the Policy Analyst - Problems & Limitations
(Munger 5, 6, 8; Sandel 4, 10)
Normative Perspectives Report – SEP 25
SEP 27
How to Do Research – Overview
(Leyden 4, 5)
Problems & Limitations Report – SEP 27
SEP 30; OCT 2,
4, 7
How to Do Research – Developing Your Model
(Leyden 4; Varian)
OCT 9, 11
NO CLASS (Free time to work on model &
compensation time for speaking center visits)
OCT 16, 18, 21,
23
OCT 25, 28
How to Do Research – Using the Literature
(Leyden 4)
Initial Model Draft – OCT 16
Bibliography Assignment 1 – OCT 18
Bibliography Assignment 2 – OCT 23
Structuring Your Paper and Presentation
Oct 30; NOV 1,
4, 6, 8, 11, 13
Research Analysis
(Leyden 5)
Speaking Center Report(s) – NOV 13
Oral Report 1 - TBA
Oral Report 2 - TBA
st
Complete Paper (1 Draft) due NOV 14
by 11:00 pm. Submit on-line using
SafeAssign.
NOV 15, 18, 20,
22, 25; DEC 2
Conference
Paper Presentation – TBA
DEC 4
Final Exam (3:30-6:30 pm)
DEC 6
Complete Paper (Final Draft) due DEC 6 by 5:00 pm.
Submit on-line using SafeAssign.
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